Apparatus, including rolls with mandrel gripping and work contacting portions for making curved profiles



Feb. 1950 c. A. GERTS ETAL APPARATUS INCLUDING ROLLS WITH MANDREL GRIPPING AND WORK CONTACTING PORTIONS FOR MAKING CURVED PROFILES Filed March 9, 1944 8 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR5. Christian A. Caferts WflLiamrH. Cla- BY y ATTORNEY Feb, Y 1950 A. GERTS r-rrAL 2,497,043 APPARATUS L m; ROLLS WITH MANDREL GRIP c WD CQNTA NG PORTIONS FOR MAKING CURVED FI Filed March 9', 44 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 F? H E 1. FT. i 5 Hll l iii m 5 46 um "W WM 1??? "*WWmfiummnmm 48 47% ll I 47 m 1.|'\'|' 53V A 25% J 59 J 9 i lillHlWiii 52 I 1. g I 2 f l IME HIHII 1 1 MINIMUM l y. 1 I' l". I win liH m Mummmunnww m mummmunnnnm I Ii m 432 321 l INVENTORS.

' $10.9 Clzri shcmA.

(Texts 9 1950 c. A. GERTS ETAL ZAEOQB APPARATUS INCLUDING ROLLS WITH MANDREL GRIPPING AND WORK CONTACTING PORTIONS FOR MAKING CURVED PROFILES Filed March a 1944 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS lay ATTORNEY Chris cianA. (Tarts 1m H. C

Feb, 7, 1950 *c. A. GERTS ETAL 2,497,943

APPARATUS INCLUDING ROLLS WITH MANDREL GRIPPING AND WORK CONTACTING PORTIONS FOR MAKING CURVED PROFILES Filed March 9, 1944 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 l I [Z a 17!! Ilflfllll/ll 1 N VEN TORS m e G Am m h r3 n in C a William H a AZZORNEY Feb. 7 1950 c. A. GERTS ETAL 2,497,043

APPARATUS INCLUDING ROLLS WITH MANDREL GRIPPING AND WORK CONTACTING PORTIONS FOR MAKING CURVED PROFILES Filed March 9, 1944 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 l P I I I N V EN TORS I Chris Han A Crerfs.

1 HCLla A TTORNEY 2,497,043 APPARATUS INCLUDING ROLLS WITH MANDREL GRIPPING AND INVENTORS.

Chrishcm A. Crarts. \NtulggnH. Clcl 8 SheetsSheet 6 G. A. GERTS ET AL WORK CONTACTING PORTIONS FOR MAKING CURVED PROFILES Filed March 9. 1944 Feb. 7, 1950 ATTORNEY Feb. 7, 1950 A. GERTS ET AL 2,497,043

APPARATUS INCLUD NG ROLLS wm: MANDREL GRIPPING AND wonx CONTACTING PORTIONS FOR MAKING CURVED PROFILES Filed March 9, 1944 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 T MMY 104 INVENTORS ChriscianA. (Tarts William H Clay A TTORNE Y Feb. 7, 1950 c. A. GERTS ETAL 2,497,043

APPARATUS INCLUDING ROLLS WITH MANDREL GRIPPING AND WORK CONTACTING PORTIONS FOR MAKING CURVED PROFILES Filed March 9, 1944 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 I w J I N VEN TOR5.

n W a w AMHO/ mm aw an i CW v: B

Patented Feb. 7, 1950 DREL GRI PPING AND WGRK CONTACTING EQRTION S FOR MAKING CURVED- PRO.-

Christian-2A. Giants; Philadelphia, and WilliannHZ' Glay, 'Rydah Pa., assignors: to The- Budd: Gum:- pany lihiladelphimlaqi a corporation at Penn? I sy-lvania ApplitationMarch- 9, 1944} Scrial'No. 525308 The invention relates to equipment: fmt makingf curved profiles.

The outstanding object of the invention to:

provide equipmentbfor maskingr profiles: of; sheet material. Such profiles- .arei outstandingly: of angle or:- U -seotiom Mons: specifically, the ob jeot of the invention is to make curvedi profiles of" the indicated typeaini which: the web is comparatively wide; so thatiitawould ofiergreat rev-- sistanceto'bendingin itsplane;

The making of angletoirchaimel-section members of the. indicated typea has proverr to; be: ex"- tremely' diflicul't. The accepted procedure consisted in stamping at blank between, upperand l-owerdiesinapress The dlsadvantageszot this: procedure are the: extrenreiln high costs forthe dies, even. for comparatively simple: forms; and the long: delay caused by'the; making: of: the-dies;

The objects of the inventicm are achieved and:

the disadvantages of the: known: procedure: are overcome by forming a blank of sheet material; of" a Width: approximately equal: tether combined widths? of said. web: and-flangesand having' its; edges curved to parallel theapproximate curvature desired; in: the finishedprofile; by placing: such blank on. a mandrel? having: asurface or surfaces shaped? to: thecontour of the flange orfla-ng'es and a surfacoadapted f-or'supporting theadjoining :web; by: finmlyhoiding; the blank, to'the mandrel through portion destined to constb tut'e the Web,.and-by then gradualiy-turning-the: marginal portion or: portions of the=blank toward. and; against the curvant surfaces'ofi the: mandrel so: as: to? form: the; curved: flange on flanges.

I of the blank, the machine being provided: with The step of bending, the marginali-portionor:

passing the mandrel with the blank thereon be,-

tween. two rollersg, the partiab initial; banding is-- carried outlby ona setiofil Boilers.-with-lcorresponching working surfaoesiwherease the final bending is-carried out. by another set of. rollers with a: differently shapedworking: surface-.- -Thefinal.- bendingmay-b'e followedzby afurthen passagebetween the rollers-sons togivo thear-ticle'os profile afinal setting. 1 v v Another feature of the-invention: consistsdin providing; amachine fon the: bending'oithearms 55:

means for shifting: automatically the axis of one or both rollers relative: to: the" mandrel: so as tm obtain profiles hazving' along length. flanges:

"r with changing angularityrelative to? the adjoin-i ing'arm'oriweb.

Further objects;.advantages and the details-ohthe invention will: become apparent from the! illustration of an embodiment theattached drawing, and front the following-description thereof:- Y Inthe drawing; Figure 1' is at planview of arfinishediourvedpm-ifile;

Figure 2ris a: section. along: line: 2--2-?-of Eigureebr' Figure 3 is a plan view of the blank adaptedifor making the profile: illustrated in Figures" L and'2;

Figure 4' is. a plan. view of a machine installaw tion for: formingin: a: continuous; succession ofoperations the article illustrated: in Figures L and Zirom the'blanh shown in" Figure 3;

' Figure- 5-15? a; diagrammatic plan view, partly in section and certain; parts: being "broken away: illustrating the" first forming operation to be-exe--- outed on the leit handz-machiner of Figure 4;

5-011 a larger scales" Figure- 8 isa planview similar tol ig'u're fi'but illustrating the second forming: operation to be: executed on the centralx machine of Fig-ure- 4-;

lFigUre Q is'a-sectional View similar'to-Figure'l taken along line 9--9xof- Figure 8;, I

Figure 10 is a section through'thework-piece after it leaves the central machine or" the righthand machine 01- Figure 4 and: afterthe-trimmingoperation but prior to' the formation: of the in-; turned marginal flangesasshowninFigurefi-y Figure 11' is a plan View of: the central machines shown.- in Figure 4: but on. a largerscale and: show ingmore details; Fig-ure- 12 isair end: elevation of the machine. seen from the right-handisideof Figure: 11-;

...Figure 1315? an. elevation partly in section along-*- scale of Figure'l l, part of thesuperstructurebe" ing' removed to-show'thearrangement-of the; forming. rollers and: the: mechanism; for moving:

and adjusting them;

Figure i6:isafragmentary-se-ctionsubstantially along line l6--l6 of Figure 11 on the same scale as Figures 14 and 15;

Figure 17 is a fragmentary section along lines |'ll1 of Figure 14;

Figure 18 is a fragmentary section along line l8l8 of Figure 14;

Figure 19 is a fragmentary section along lines 19-49 of Figures 14 and 18;

Figure 20 is a fragmentary section similar to part of Figure 14, but showing the adjustable roller and connected parts in a differently adjusted position and certain parts in elevation seen from about line 20 of Figure 11; and

Figure 21 is a plan view of the driving mechanism of the machine seen substantially from the plane indicated by line 2| --2| of Figure 13.

The principle of the invention will be explained at first by reference to the diagrammatic Figures 1 to 10 and the details of the complete machine as illustrated in Figures 11 to 21 will be described thereafter.

Figures 1 and 2 show a typical workpiece which may be formed by the new method and equipment. This workpiece is in the form of a channel having a wide, generally plane, bottom wall or web 25 and side walls or arms 26 ending in inturned flanges 21. The side walls 26 are curved in the plane of the bottom wall 25.

For making the profile illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, a blank 28 is cut out or otherwise formed which, as illustrated in Figure 3, has margins 28 paralleling substantially the contours of the finished workpiece and of a width equalling about the sum of the widths of the web 25, the walls 26, the flanges 21 and the strips 30 to be trimmed on (see Figure 10).

The blank illustrated in Figure 3 is placed between a mandrel 3| and a cover plate 32. The mandrel has in plan view the exact shape of the finished workpiece between its side walls '26 but its height is substantially greater than the side walls and the flanges 21. The lateral surfaces 33 of the mandrel have the curvature of the finished workpiece. and the top and bottom walls 34 are plane. The top plate 32. is slightly wider than the mandrel 3| and its lateral margins parallel the contours of the finished workpiece. Pins or dowels 35 inserted in holes of the mandrel extend through registering holes 36 and 37 of the blank 28 and the cover plate 32, res ectlvelv, so as to hold the members firmly in the predetermined relative positions. The pins or dowels 35 are removable and can be placed into the mandrel from opposite sides. Obviously, the same mandrel and cover plate can be used for making the symmetrical workpieces.

Sbafts 38 and 39. rotatably su ported in the machine 40 and power-driven. have secured to them rollers 38 and 39', res ectively. The mandrel 3! and the cover plate 32 with the workpiece 28 between them are introduced between the two rollers 38' and 39'. The shaft 38 is supported in a sled 4| movable in gibs 42 and adiustable by means of a screw 43. The second shaft 39 is supported by a sled 44 and guided in the machine frame by gibs 44. A hydraulic cylinder 45 by means of its piston (not shown) and piston rod 46 is adapted. to exert pressure on the roller 39' and move it toward the roller 38'.

Both rollers are substantially identical and have a lower. cylindrical. circumferential surface ortion 41 and a recessed up er section with a 60-inclined surface portion 48. The cylindrical portions 41 are adapted for engagement with the lower part of the mandrel 3|. whereas 55 over an intervening table '62.

the surface portions 48 serve for turning the projecting marginal portions of the blank 28 down to a -position as shown in Figures 5 and 7.

During the passage of the mandrel 3| with its cover plate 32 and the blank 28 between the rollers 38' and 39', the mandrel 3| is supported on horizontally arranged idle rollers 49 supported in bearings 50 of the machine top plate 5|; the axes of the rollers 49 extend transversely to the axes of the shafts 3B, 39. The top plate 32 is pressed downwardly against the blank 28 by means of a guiding shoe 52 operated on by a hydraulic cylinder which will be described in connection with the details of the machine illustrated in Figures 11 to 21.

After the mandrel 3| with the blank 28 and the cover plate 32 has been introduced between the rollers 38' and 39', which rotate in the direction of the arrows 54, they are taken along in the direction of the arrow 55. The blank leaves the machine 40 with its marginal portions turned down to about a 60-position, as shown in section in Figure 7.

After leaving the machine 40 the blank 28 and the mandrel 3| and the cover plate 32 are moved over the table 56 into the second machine 57. The second machine is substantially identical with the first machine in that it has sleds 4 l 44, gibs 42, 44, an adjusting screw 43 and a hydraulic cylinder 45 with piston rod 48, horizontal rollers 49. a table 5|, a hold-down shoe 52 and powerdriven shafts 58, 59. The outstanding difference between the two machines consists in the form of the rollers 58' and 59'. These rollers have, as in the machine 40, a lower cylindrical portion 60 but an upper cylindrical portion 60' of slightly smaller diameter. The difference in diameter between the portions 60 and 60' is such that the recess formed is of a depth slightly smaller than the thickness of the side walls 26 of the workpiece.

' When the mandrel 3| with cover plate 32 and workpiece 28 is introduced between the rollers 58 and 59', the cylindrical portions 60 engage the lower portion of the mandrel 3| and take it along while the upper portions 60' of the rollers turn the side walls 26 from the 60-position completely down against the upper portion of the sides of the mandrel. Owing to the aforesaid difference in dimensions of the portions 60 and 6!), a severe pressure is exerted on the side walls 26 of the workpiece. The pressure should be such that it compresses the arms 26 yet that driving contact is actually made between the cylindrical portions 60 of the rollers 58, 59' and the lower portion of the mandrel. The depth of the recess may be in the order of 0.002" less than the gauge of the workpiece; this difference was found suitable for stainless steel and will have to be adjusted to the nature of the material and the gauge of the blank.

In the case of comparatively heavy gauge material it has been found advisable to pass the blank with the mandrel through a third machine Bl The third machine may be identical as to construction and form of the rollers with the central machine 51. This gives a final setting to the flange. Of course, the same object could be achieved also by passing the workpiece with the mandrels a second time or back and forth through the machine 51; nowever, such procedure would interfere with con tinuous production.

After the forming of the workpiece is finished 7 on the machines 40, 5'! and BI, it is removed from ltetwem the mendrel all. cover plate-32;; he margins 3.0: of the sidewalls lfianze trimmed off. by any appropriate means. as illustrated: in Eigure 01, Thereafter the flanges 2:! are turned inwardly tothe position shown. in: Eigmse 2;, by; means (not shown) which do not constitute a part 01 this; invention.

'l-Ihemarehine 51 illustrated in detail iii-Figures. l to -21 comprises: a top plateill'. supported by side walls or structures 65 and ahase: plate orstructurm Q6- erranged below" the floor 61:.

Secured to'thet'op; of the plate 5 t are; the here inhefore: described gilos: 42 movahly guide the sledi litu sled; till isrlu the formlofi av box structure with projecting ton and buttons w walls: d8, d9 (see Fig. 1391.. Theseprojecting; walls; are provided; with hearings 1:011 (see Eigz, H) tor theshaft 58 carrying roller: 5:85. Thehereinhetere: descrihed; adjustment screw 4532 has: its one end rotatably secured at T2: to thel sled; M, extends. through a; screw threaded: bracket 13 secured to the table top- 5 li and has its outer end provided. with a hand; wheelv '14..

The; gibs 44;" are likewise secured to the: table; top 5.4 and are engaged by matinggibs 15: (Fig; 18) formed on: the sled 44'. This sled 4'4; has am end wall 16, side Walls. k119i top wall 18' andai;

bottom: wall 1:8 (Figures 114, 18, and 19') The ihner'endsof theside walls la]? are interconnected and; kept: at the-proper. distance by: a spacer bolt and tube: r- (Fig. 114).. The end: wall Hi con; nected to rod; 4161 of. a piston. movable-in the; i'nterior of the: hydraulic: cylinder; secured tothei tabletopv 51:. A structure 8 11-- is guided: by" mating arcuate gilos. or guideways: 82: between the side;

walls Ill: of the sled 44?. 'Ekds'structure: 8t is in; the form of an; open box: and carries at its top; and. bottom a1 pair of: bearings E0 M which are: substantially idenln'cal with the hereinheforeade scribed: bearings hearing: the: same numerals, and; support the shaft. 59: for the second roller'tafi.

The shatts 58 and: 5% are driven by: flexible: extensible: shafts; E3 6%. The? shafts 83' and; 84? are driven by" members: 35,. 85. (see? Figures 13 andl 21'), of. a reducticmgearrilr'l', which turn driven by belts; or chains 3&- and another reductiongean 89. from an electric: motor 9% A shaft. 9.1 (see Figures: 11, 18;. 1 9i and 20): is rotatably' supported in bearings provided on the: side walls; lilof: the. sled 44; are twopinions 9:2' and; 93;. The pinion 92' meshes witlu an arcuate, rack 94; secured to the structure;

81:, whereas the pinion 33 meshes with. a straight neck s secured to a rod: fid whiclr letter is slid;- ably guided: gibs 95! secured to. the end wall. E5 of the, sled HP. The. rod. 9% has: its upper endv secured to the rod 91; of a: piston movablewitliinl the hydraulic; cylinder 9.8". This cylinder is sup-- ported on top: of the'sled 44* by means'ofa bracket? 99;, The lower end; of. the rod 96 carries a cam follower use which in engagement: with a cam, disc: III'L. The cam disc Hltl. iskeye'd to a shaft H12" which is: rotatably supported in bearings providedi'rr a downward extension of; one of the side walls- Tl: and a bracket 1G3: extendingdownwardly from-the; bottomzwalli l9: ofth'e sled 44'. Keyedlttrthe.- shaft 1.025 is alsii-a \i-belt disc? [8.3: (see Figures.- 13' and, 18:) a

The" disc; H114 isin driving; connection.loy v-b'elti I04 with a disc IE5 supported by itsishaft; lllfi i'm aubrachet. till;- secured; to: the base. plate. 56 of the machine: The; shaft 1:06: is coaxial with a second: shaft; I08; towhich' imam-he coupled" or tronrwhicl e it;- can he: uncoupled. means of a clutch;

operated; by; a; lever lilll; T119: shaft lill8 is: drive as moses and Mi The centerof the-amuate guide Keyed: to. this shaft 6 inglyconnected; at w-belt drive I l: a reducing; gear I I2 and another V-belt and chain drivel-153; shaft. Mi of; the reducing gear 81. An idle pulley ltd: ('Fig', 13),- supported by an arm 5,,

is journallcd at H161 to the: underside of thee topplate: 5l ,.isfnrced\ by a spring H! againstthe belt EEW so; as to: keep the latter under tension; irrespective of the position of the sled 44 carlaying: the disc: l'll l; note: the different positions inby full lines and dot-and-dash lines in 13;v

blli'dgfir structure H8 (Figv 14); is secured to the table top 5l over the regional the rollers 58,,- and the structures supporting them. Slid-- :rhly' guided. in vertical gibs H9 of the bridge structure H8 is a; yoke I20 which extends with its arms l2! into the space: between the rollers" and carries swingaloly' about. a horizontal axis means of; pins I122: a supporting member. I23:

for the shoe: i=2 serves for holding down the: covezrplate: 32.0flthe mandrel. Supported by? the bridge structure) 38 is. also a hydraulic cylinder I524 The rod. i25- oi the piston (not shown) in, the; cylinder 24 is connected to the upper end of the; yoke I20;

Inaaddition to the'horizontalrollers 49 arranged? between the forming rollers 58 and: 59", a plurality of long rollers or pins; I26 (see: Figures 1 and; 1:]; to 1:6.) are rotatablysupported in bearings 12ft secured, to the table top 5t. Similar rollers #28: are provided on the tables: 55 and 62 between tlremachines 4133,. 51% and' i 6.1%. These rollers serve for guiding the: mandrels'. easily and. speedily through the machines in the exact required po-' sitibn and-from one machiheto-theother.

The machine: operates as follows; First the roller 58:" i's edjustedbymeans of the'hand wheel" MS to the proper position depending upon the widtlu oil the; mandrel 3|; this width difi'ers, of"

course, for different profiles of the workpiece.

Then a shoe 52 of appropriate width is secured tothe yoke: 201 Afiter these preparations, the workpiece; held between the" mandrel 31 and the cover? plate: 32- is placed. in the machine and the motor is started When, or shortly before;-

the end of the mandrel 31 3 22 enters between the: rollers 582',v 59",: pressure medium is admitted tGItfIE cylinderlIZdt so. asto exert pressure on the: cover plate; 32: by" the shoe. 52. Then pressurefiuidl admitted to the cylinder 45 thereby fore-- i'ng-t theroll'eu 58! against the mandrel and theletter against theroll'er 59! The rollers drivingly engage. the mandrel 31 and take it along and simultaneously they tend the side walls 26 of the so; profile against the: mandrel;

Ifi the. flanges- 26- to he formed in the profile are to be uniformly in 90 -position as illustrated,

for"instance, in Figure l l the clutch I09 is left uncoupled and the. parts remain in the position do; illustrated, for instance, in Figures 13 and I4.

It, howevemaprofileis t'o b'emade which over ai partoi itszlen'gth' has' aflange or arm 25' deviat-' ing trout. the u -position, then, in combination with at chrrespondingly'shaped mandrel 3! (see Fig; 201 the mechanism controlled by the con-' pli'n'g I09 is; put humor/ion. Throwing in of' the:

ccuplingtfld causes rotation of: the camv disc lEll-i and forces. the -rod with the rack 95 up and; down; against or following the pressure transml mittedLby the piston in cylinder 93' through thepiston rod; 9? This: motion causes in turn the". up andizdown swihging movement of the structure: 81 about-the center of the arcuate guides 82 on" aceountlofi the-pinions flii 3'2 in'serted between the" 7 82 preferably coincides substantially with the plane of the flange 26'.

The swinging movement of the body 8| follows a law determined by the relative speed of the rollers 58', 59' and the form of thecam disc Hll. This law can be changed by changing said relative speed and/or by using difierent forms of cam discs.

The means imparting swinging movement to the roller need only be provided on the machine or machines which turn the flange 26' completely against the mandrel 31', but such equipment is not necessary for the first machine 40 which turns the wall or flange 26 or 25 only partly down into the 60-positi0n or into any other intermediate position between the initial position and the final position of the side wall.

It will also be obvious that if both side walls of the workpiece have changing angularity, both rollers have to be supported for swinging movement in a manner illustrated in the embodiment for but one of the two rollers.

A reverse gear is included between the motor and the shafts or the direction of the motor itself is reversible so as to permit the movement of the work in either direction or back and forth through the machine.

With the exception of the lever H for the clutch I09, none of the control means, wire circuits, pressure medium conduits, pressure gauges, et cetera are illustrated or described. The machine is, of course, equipped with such means permitting the proper operation and control of its elements.

Neither the method nor the equipment for carrying it out is restricted to the illustrated and described embodiments but modifications and adaptations will easily occur to those skilled in the art and are intended to be covered by the claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A machine for turning a marginal portion of a curved blank of sheet metal toward a curved side surface of a mandrel supporting the blank to form a flange, said machine comprising means for supporting and guiding the mandrel for movement along a stationary structm'e, a pair of shafts spaced apart and supporting rolls having surface portions designed to grip the mandrel and drive it through said rolls during the turning operation, and means to drive said shafts, at least one of said rolls having a surface portion spaced from said gripping portion and conforming to the angularity of the desired flange and designed to contact an edge of the blank extending beyond the mandrel and turn it to form the desired flange, and means for exerting a resilient pressure on one of said rolls toward the other to insure the desired driving contact and accomplish said turning action.

2. A machine for turning a marginal portion of a curved blank of sheet metal toward a curved side surface of a mandrel supporting the blank to form a flange, said machine comprising means for supporting and guiding the mandrel for movement along a stationary structure, a pair of shafts spaced apart and supporting .rolls having surface portions designed to grip the mandrel and drive it through said rolls during the turning operation, and means to drive said shafts, at least one of said rolls having a surface portion spaced from said gripping portion and conforming to the angularity of the desired flange and designed to contact an edge of the blank extending beyond the mandrel and turn it to form the desiredflange, means for adjustably securing one of said rolls in operative position, and means for exerting a resilient pressure on the other of said rolls toward the adjustably secured roll to insure the desired driving contact and accomplish said turning action.

3. A machine for turning a marginal portion of a curved blank of sheet metal to form a flange, said machine comprising a mandrel having a surface designed to support the web of the blank, and a curved side surface toward which said flange is to be turned, said machine comprising means for supporting and guiding the mandrel for movement along a stationary structure, a pair of shafts spaced apart and supporting rolls having surface portions designed to grip the mandrel and drive it through said rolls during the turning operation, and means to drive said shafts, at least one of said rolls having a surface portion spaced from said gripping portion and conforming to the angularity of the desired flange and designed to contact an edge of the blank extending beyond the mandrel and turn it to form the desired flange, and means for exerting a resilient pressure on one of said rolls toward the other to insure the desired driving contact and accomplish said turning action.

4. A machine for turning the marginal portions of a curved blank of sheet metal toward curved side surfaces of a mandrel supporting the blank to form flanges, said machine comprising means for supporting and guiding the mandrel for movement along a stationary structure, a pair of shafts spaced apart and supporting rolls having surface portions designed to grip the mandrel and drive it through said rolls during the turning operation, and means to drive said shafts, each of said rolls having a surface portion spaced from said gripping portion and conforming to the angularity of one of said flanges and designed to contact an edge of the blank extending beyond the mandrel and turn it to form the desired flange, and means for exerting a resilient pressure on one of said rolls toward the other to insure the desired driving contact and accomplish said turning action.

5. A machine for turning a marginal portion of a curved blank of sheet metal toward a curved side surface of a mandrel supporting the blank to form a flange, said machine comprising means for supporting and guiding the mandrel for movement along a stationary structure, a pair of shafts spaced apart and supporting rolls having surface portions designed to grip the mandrel and drive it through said rolls during the turning operation, and means to drive said shafts, at least one of said rolls having a surface portion spaced from said gripping portion and conforming to the angularity of the desired flange and designed to contact an edge of the blank extending beyond the mandrel and turn it to form the desired flange, means for exerting a resilient pressure on one of said rolls toward the other to insure the desired driving contact and accomplish said turning action, and means for changing the relative angularity of said shafts to each other during driving of the mandrel between them, whereby the angularity of the flange being formed may be varied along the length of said flange by said turning operation.

' 6. A machine for turning a marginal portion of a curved blank of sheet metal toward a curved side surface of a mandrel supporting the blank to form a flange, said machine comprising means for supporting and guiding the mandrel for movement along a stationary structure, means for yieldably holding said mandrel supporting said blank against said stationary structure during said movement, a pair of shafts spaced apart and supporting rolls having surface portions designed to grip the mandrel and drive it through said rolls during the turning operation, and means to drive said shafts, at least one of said rolls having a surface portion spaced from said gripping portion and conforming to the angularity of the desired flange and designed to contact an edge of the blank extending beyond the mandrel and turn it to form the desired flange, and means for exerting a resilient pressure on one of said rolls toward the other to insure the desired driving contact and accomplish said turning action. CHRISTIAN A. GERTS. WILLIAM H. CLAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 214,181 Nugent Apr. 8, 1879 216,077 Ball June 3, 1879 221,438 Bassett Nov. 11, 1879 Number 10 Name Date Moore May 26, 1885 Gillen June 23, 1903 Heinle Apr. 10, 1906 Gabriel Dec. 7, 1909 Rehbein July 16, 1918 Hendrickson June 20, 1922 Bremer Aug. 15, 1922 McCabe Mar. 27, 1923 Curtis Aug. 5, 1924 Thomes Oct. 12, 1926 Frahm et a1 1 June 12, 1928 Simmons Dec. 24, 1935 Goldthwaite Oct. 22, 1940 Johnson Jan. 12, 1943 Misfeldt Jan, 19, 1943 Schlenzig Jan. 11, 1944 Combs May 9, 1944 Clark Sept. 12, 1944 Johnson Apr. 2, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain May 30, 1941 Great Britain Feb. 11, 1942 Germany Feb. 12, 1937 Switzer1and- Dec. 1, 1941 

